An expanding global economy has yielded ever-increasing demand for energy. In particular, demand for hydrocarbon fuel sources is growing, as are prices for oil and natural gas. As such, there is an increased interest in finding new sources of hydrocarbons, and an increased drive to improve production from existing hydrocarbon reservoirs.
Recent changes in technology led to drilling in previously inaccessible reservoir structures. In particular, oil and gas shale formations, previously considered unproductive, are now being tapped for hydrocarbon production. Management of production within such structures tends to be more challenging than typical production structures. Such challenges can lead to an increased cost of production and difficulties in predicting production levels.
The use of the same reference symbols in different drawings indicates similar or identical items.